Tube curler



Jan. 21, 1958 w; c. F. DIETZ- 7 2,820, 75

TUBE CURLER Filed Sept. 24, 1953 IN V EN TOR.

W/LL/AM CE D/ETZ BY United States atcnt;

TUBE CURLER William C. F. Dietz, Cincinnati, Ohio Application September24, 1953, Serial No. 382,128

2 Claims. (Cl. 222-99) This invention relates to collapsible tubecurlers, and more particularly, to collapsible tube curlers which maybeill attached to and detached from collapsible tubes at w An object ofthis invention is to provide a low cost collapsible tube curler ofsimple, sturdy construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a collapsible tube curlerof the above character which may be placed with a collapsible tube in apaperboard box such as is used in packaging and marketing of toothpaste, shaving cream, and the like without enlargement of the box ordamage to the tube.

Another object of this invention is to provide a collapsible tube curlerwhich is fabricated from a rectangular blank of thin sheet metal and inwhich a finger tab is provided at one end of a hollow, tubular memberhaving a longitudinal slot extending from the open end of the tubularmember toward the tab.

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible tubecurler of the above character which may be operatively engaged with anddisengaged from a collapsible tube at any time without uncurling thetube so that one curler may be used alternately with a plurality oftubes in various stages of collapse and curling.

Other objects and features of this invention will be apparent to thosehaving ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains, fromthe following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of a sheet metal blank from which a curlerembodying this invention may be fabricated;

Fig. 2 shows the blank of Fig. l bent to form a tubular member having alongitudinal slot;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the tubular member of Fig. 2 with a portionadjacent one end thereof flattened to substantially coincide with anaxial plane of the tubular member;

Fig. 4 shows the tubular member of Fig. 3 with a flattened portionthereof folded in half along a line perpendicular to the axis of thehollow member;

Fig. 5 is a view of the device shown in Fig. 4 rotated 90 from theposition shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows a tube curler such as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, inoperative engagement with a collapsible tube; and

Figs. 8 and 9 are end views of the tube and curler shown in Fig. 7.

Collapsible tubes are widely used as containers for paste-like,semi-liquid materials. Cosmetics, lubricants, pigments, laundry starch,abrasive compounds, and the like, are a few of the many commodities sopackaged. To economically discharge the contents from such collapsiblecontainers, it is best to progressively collapse them from the closedend thereof toward the discharge orifice. To accomplish this, I providea curler by means of which the tube is progressively flattened, andabout wlrlllicg the flattened portion of the tube is progressively r0 eIn the drawing, a preferred form of curler 1 embodying my invention, isillustrated and comprises a one-piece tubular member 5 having a strong,integral tab 2 at one end, the other end thereof being open. Alongitudinal slot 3 extends from the open end 4 to the tab 2.

To make a curler as illustrated in the drawing, I cut a blank 15substantially rectangular in shape, as shown in Fig. 1. Blank 15 may bemade of thin sheet metal and I prefer to round the two corners 16 at oneend, as illustrated. The blank 15 may be cut from sheet stock or it maybe cut from coiled strip stock. I bend blank 15 to form the thin-walled,hollow tube member 5' having a longitudinal slot 3' disposed betweenedges 19. When blank 15 is bent to form slotted tube member 5', therounded corners 16 are adjacent each other and slot 3 is thus wideradjacent end 4 of tube 5'. As shown in Fig. 3, l flatten a portion 21 oftubular member 5' adjacent the end 22 thereof. As illustrated in Fig. 3,I prefer that the flattened portion 21 substantially coincides with anaxial plane substantially perpendicular to an axial plane passingthrough slot 3. As illustrated in Fig. 3, I prefer that the edges 19 bein substantial abutment in the flattened portion 21. Flattened portion21 is then folded along the center line 23 which extends transversely ofthe axis of the tubular member. The folded portion 21 is illustrated inFigs. 4 and 5 and designated as a tab 2, the exterior faces of which areunbroken. It may be noted that a smooth, uninterrupted outer face may beobtained on tab 2 by folding flattened portion 21 so that the major facethereof in which edges 19 meet, is disposed within the tab 2.

The device 1 shown in Figs. 4 and 5 when viewed from end 4 thereofappears as illustrated in Fig. 6.

Fig. 7 shows a device 1 as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 inco-operative relation with a portion of a collapsible tube 25 forprogressively exhausting and curling of tube 25.

Figs. 8 and 9 are end views of the tube and curler illustrated in Fig.7. As illustrated most clearly in Fig. 8, the crimped end 26 of thecollapsible tube 25 is received within the interior of hollow, tubularportion 5 with the uncrimped portion of the tube 25 immediately adjacentthe crimped portion 26, extending outwardly through slot 3. As curler 1is rotated (in a clockwise direction as illustrated in Fig. 9 forexample), tube 25 is collapsed progressively. The collapsed portionthereof is curled about the hollow tubular portion of curler 1. Thehollow tubular portion 5 of the curler 1 may be slipped into engagementwith the crimped end 26 of an uncurled, collapsible tube, or it may beengaged with the crimped end portion 26 of a. partially curledcollapsible tube without uncurling the curled portion of the tube. Byreason of the fact that such tubes have a small amount of resilience,they do not bind upon the exterior surface of the cylindrical portion ofthe curler. The widened or flared portion of the slot 3 adjacent end 4of the curler facilitates insertion of the curler into operativeengagement with a collapsible tube which is uncurled or which has beenpartially exhausted and curled about a curler which has previously beendisengaged therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, it will be apparent that variouschanges may be made in the disclosed ernbodiment without departing fromeither the spirit or the scope of the invention.

Therefore, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by LettersPatent is:

l. A device for curling a collapsible tube which comprises a thin-walledhollow tubular member formed from a rectangular sheet metal blank, therebeing a longitudinal slot therein between the spaced adjacent edges ofsaid formed blank, a portion ofsaid tubular member adjacent one endthereof being flattened, said flattened portion being folded uponitselfalong a line transversely of the axis of said tubular member to "form afinger grip "with the slot defining edges inside the folded portion,said finger grip portion supporting the slot defining edges againstlongitudinal displacement relative to-each other, said tubular memberbeing adapted to receive the end seal portion of a-collapsible tube withan adjacent portion projecting outwardly through said longitudinal slotwhereby'said tubular member may be rotated to efiect progressivecollapsing-of said tube for emptying same While simultaneously curlingthe emptied portion thereof about said'tubular member. I

2. A collapsible tube curler comprising a thin-Walled hollowtubular'member having spaced-edges bounding a longitudinal slot, aportion of said tubular memberadja- 'cent one endthereof beingcolla'psedinto flattened condition with the walls thereof insubstantialcoincidence with a dia'metral planeand joined together bylongitudinal'fold portions, the collapsed andfla'ttened portion beingjoined to the t'ubular portion thereof by-an integral-hollow taperingportion, said flattened portion being folded upon 2 2,077,715 Rubens Ar..20, 1g37 0 2,633,270 Young Mar.f31,'1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 468,554Italy Jan. 26, 1952 itself along a line transversely of the axis of saidtubular member to form a finger grip tab 'with the slot-bounding edgesinside the tab for supporting the slot defining edges againstlongitudinal shifting relative to each other and the tubular memberagainst distortion, the slot in said tubular portion extending from theopen end ofsaid References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS

